United sued over pesticide in planes
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Cabin crews sickened by pesticides

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Subject:   Your "Registered" POISONS In Planes.................
 Date:      Sat, 4 Aug 2001 09:07:18 -0400
From:        Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization:     Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)

To:     Paul Helliker <phelliker@cdpr.ca.gov>
          Director, State of California, Department of Pesticide Regulation 

cc:    Christine Whitman whitman.christine@epa.gov

Dear Mr. Helliker,  I thought you might like to read two recent articles:

http://www.cnn.com/2001/TRAVEL/NEWS/08/02/unitedairlines.pesticides.ap/index.html</A>

United sued over pesticide in planes August 2, 2001 Posted: 9:48 AM EDT (1348 GMT)

CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- Flight attendants are being sickened by exposure to pesticides that are sprayed on airplanes serving Australia and New Zealand, a lawsuit filed against United Airlines claims.

United flight attendants are exposed to pesticides sprayed in the cabins of 747-400 airplanes, according to the lawsuit filed by flight attendant Susan Matthews, who says she developed a rash from head to toe after a trip to Australia.

The spraying is done about once every eight weeks and is aimed at keeping non-native insects out of the countries, where they could wreak havoc in the agricultural sector.

It is normally done in vacant cabins while the plane is on the ground, but "we're still seeing planes getting sprayed and within an hour they are beingboarded by crew and passengers," said Jeff Zack, spokesman for the Association of Flight Attendants.

Sometimes it's also done while the plane is in the air and full of passengers.

"The flight attendants put on rubber gloves and go right down the aisle and spray this stuff over the passengers' heads," Zack said.

These 747-400s are also used on other United routes, meaning that potentially thousands of flight attendants have been and continue to be exposed to the pesticides, Rob Jones, an attorney for Matthews, said Wednesday. Jones is seeking class action status for the suit filed in Cook County Circuit Court.

The pesticides contain permethrin and phenothrin, which are designed to kill insects but can also cause rashes and respiratory problems in humans, according to the suit. Some flight attendants experience long-term exposure to the pesticides, Jones said, and in severe cases can develop neurological problems.

He hopes to file a lawsuit on behalf of passengers as well.

"Once you're out over the Pacific you don't have a lot of options. You can't stick your head out the window," Jones said.

Matthews' lawsuit seeks damages and asks the court to order United to halt the spraying or find a safer way to do it that doesn't place passengers and crew at risk. The suit claims that United has known for some time that the practice is dangerous.

United: 'Caught in the middle'

United spokesman Joe Hopkins said the airline is simply doing what is required of it to serve those two countries.

"It's a government requirement and we're caught in the middle," he said.

He acknowledged that United has received complaints from some flight attendants who said they became ill from the spraying, "but not in large numbers."

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has banned the sprays from aircraft in the United States, and according to Hopkins several countries have dropped the requirement.

A call to the Australian Embassy in Washington seeking comment was not immediately returned. The government of New Zealand has previously said ithas no plans to change its practice.

Copyright 2001 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,2495867%255E421,00.html

Cabin crews sickened by pesticides

By ANDREW BUCHANAN 03aug01

FLIGHT attendants are being sickened by exposure to pesticides that are sprayed on aeroplanes serving Australia, a lawsuit filed in the US claims.

United Airlines crew are exposed to pesticides sprayed in the cabins of 747-400 aeroplanes, according to the lawsuit filed by flight attendant Susan Matthews, who says she developed a rash from head to toe after a trip to Australia.

The spraying is carried out about once every eight weeks and is aimed at keeping foreign insects out of Australia and New Zealand, where they could wreak havoc in the agricultural sector.

It is normally done in vacant cabins while the plane is on the ground, but "we're still seeing planes getting sprayed and within an hour they are being boarded by crew and passengers", said Jeff Zack, spokesman for the US Association of Flight Attendants.

Ms Matthews' lawsuit seeks damages and asks the court to order United to halt the spraying or find a safer way method that doesn't place passengers and crew at risk.

The suit claims that United has known for some time that the practice is dangerous.

United spokesman Joe Hopkins said the airline is simply doing what is required of it to serve the two countries.

"It's a Government requirement and we're caught in the middle," he said.

He acknowledged United has received complaints from some flight attendants who said they became ill from the spraying, "but not in large numbers".

The US Environmental Protection Agency has banned the sprays from aircraft in the US, and according to Mr Hopkins, several countries have dropped the requirement.

Australia's quarantine authorities will continue spraying international aircraft for insects despite legal action.

A spokesman for the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service said the spraying of aircraft for insects was safe and helped protect Australia from a litany of diseases.

He said the spray used on aeroplanes was World Health Organisation approved and free of allergenic materials.

"You've got more safety problems walking out into your garden than with what is sprayed on planes," the spokesman said.

"We've got no plans to change what we are doing."

The spokesman said there had never been reports to AQIS about possible problems caused by the spray.

Well Mr. Helliker, it certainly is interesting watching the POISON "industry" pretend that there is nothing in their POISONS to make anyone react.  These POISON sprays do not even list all of the ingredients - how on earth can any rational person say that these POISONS "are free from allergic materials"?  There are very few substances on earth that do not cause allergic reactions in some people.  I also love the comparison that the "registered" POISONS in your garden are more danerous than the POISONS they are spraying on the planes.  The best line is: "We've got no plans to change what we are doing."  Do you have any plans to change what you are doing?

Respectfully, Stephen L. Tvedten

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